Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

Today's edition of The Irish Times carries a very serious report about the return of third level fees in the Colin Hunt report. Senators will remember that the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, appointed Dr. Colin Hunt to carry out a long-term strategy report on third level education. Last week I again asked the Leader for a debate on the future of third level education. What is our vision for third level education? What do we want as a nation? How do we want third level education funded? Is it fair that the students - or rather their families - must now foot the bill of €2 billion, which is the cost of third level education here? Would it not be far fairer to introduce the Fine Gael plan of a graduate contribution once the graduates take up employment? I would like to hear the Green Party response. That party has renegotiated the programme for Government-----